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June 15,
'01
Vol. 1, No. 15
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T H E S C H O O L L I B E
R A T O R
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Alliance for the Separation of School and State
-Permission granted to forward in its entirety.-
-Please distribute
widely.-
1) Self-defense Is Taboo
2) Cure for the Summer School Blues
3) Charter Chatter in Atlanta
4) More Federal Tentacles
5) EduAbsurdity: Sexual Harassment Rampant in
Nations Schools?
PLUS
* Gatto book/Fritz video bonus package
* www.sepschool.org needs your
financial boost
* SepCon2001 Set for Nov. 16-18 in Arlington VA
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THIS WEEK'S LINKS
1-----1-----1
Self-defense Is Taboo
Mr. Gene Johns writes us: "Zero tolerance got my son suspended for
pushing back an aggressor. The principal told my wife and me that even
defending himself is not allowed." The Alliance often receives
reports from around the country that self-defense is not allowed on our
nation's campuses. This may be an unintended consequence of zero tolerance
policies. But shouldn't we be asking
ourselves, since zero tolerance policies are a degradation of justice and
since self-defense is morally sound--in fact to many, a moral
imperative--why is the attack on self-defense being perpetuated by the
education establishment?
Read Mr. Johns letter to the principal.
http://www.sepschool.org/Other/Johns_Letter.htm
2-----2-----2
Cure for the Summer School Blues
This is a fascinating article in the New York Post, not only for the
public bickering between public school officials over high stakes testing,
but also for the last paragraph detailing the lengths public schools go to
browbeat parents. [And just who or what are "truancy teachers"?
--Ed.]
"Kids Can Fail and Still Pass"
http://www.nypostonline.com/news/regionalnews/31994.htm
3-----3-----3
Charter Chatter
The Georgia Board of Education has approved two charter schools over the
opposition of local school districts, making them the Georgia's first two
state chartered schools. Fans of false reform note this: "The state
board imposed a host of requirements on the two charters that no other
public school must bear." (Copy and paste long urls into your
browser.)
"Two Charter Survivors"
http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/
friday/opinion_b3925a3850856121002e.html
4-----4-----4
More Federal Tentacles
Quietly, a provision allowing for a tax break for private school tuition
costs was included in the recently approved tax bill. Despite the modest
amounts involved and despite McTighe's short-sighted praise, this is a
disaster
for the autonomy of private schooling. It is the proverbial camel's nose
under the tent, inviting federal regulation of schools and allowing
further unconstitutional encroachment into K-12 education.
"Education Breaks Folded into Tax Bill's Fine Print"
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=39tax.h20
5-----5-----5
EduAbsurdity: When Everyone's a Victim...
Could it possibly be true that over 80% of our public school children are
sexually harassed? Is Jacqueline Woods correct that "sexual
harassment is part of everyday life for boys and girls at school"? Or
has this notion been planted in their little heads? [Tough to decide. Best
to avoid the problem altogether by separating school and state now--for
your own family. --Ed.]
"Critics Say Politics Distorts Findings in Sex Harassment Study"
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,26603,00.html
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BONUS OFFER. Save $15.00! Buy John Taylor Gatto's magnum
opus, "The Underground History of American Education,"
plus Marshall Fritz's new video, "Public Schools Are
Destroying America and What You Can Do about It."
Regularly $45, get both for $30 plus $3.50 S&H.
Call (559) 292-1776 Monday-Friday, 9 to 5 Pacific time;
ask for the School Liberator Bonus Package. Or fax us anytime at (559)
292-7582. Visa/MC/AmEx/Discover accepted. Snail mail OK, too.
========================================
HELP UPGRADE Sepschool.org
Still looking to reach our budget goal of $25,000 for a
much needed website face lift. Steve Brock is already
hard at work redesigning www.sepschool.org.
Take a peek.
http://sbrock.hobbiton.org/clients/sepschool/
Any amount is greatly appreciated. Please email your contribution amounts
to mailto:Morgen@psnw.com If
you pay by credit card, have her call you back for the number so all is
secure.
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SepCon2001 is set for Friday-Sunday, Nov. 16-18, 2001, the weekend before
Thanksgiving, at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Arlington VA. See our ad
for the conference with details about topics. http://www.sepschool.org/SepCon/Ads/download.htm
And pencil SepCon2001 into your calendar now.
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SCORECARD
Total Proclaimers (as of June , 2001): 12,769
New Proclaimers year-to-date: 1,139
Top three states in Proclaimers per million population:
Minnesota, 177; New Hampshire, 146; Utah, 125.
See all states at
http://www.sepschool.org/cgi/ranking.cgi/PPM0
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SIGN THE PROCLAMATION or get a family member to: "I proclaim publicly
that I favor ending government
involvement in education."
http://www.sepschool.org/Proclamation
WANT TO SOUND OFF? Discuss education issues with fellow articulate School
Liberators. Go to
http://www.sepschool.org/Other/eGroupsDiscussion.htm
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? Send us your message at
mailto:ccuthbert@fix.net
WORD OF MOUTH is the most efficient means of marketing the Separator
philosophy. Please forward this newsletter to your family, friends and
associates.
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FINAL THOUGHT
This letter to the editor appeared in a local Louisiana newspaper last
weekend. It is entitled "The history they dare not teach in 'public'
schools."
It is clear that decades of forced public education, at the request of
industrialists needing ignorant workers, have "dumbed down" our
Acadian population and this country as a whole. Today's learning
institutions are little more than breeding grounds for violence,
consumerism and the latest adolescent fads. It is one size fits all,
producing a marginal product. The high English-only LEAP [Louisiana
standardized test] scores of Vermilion Parish only
prove the success of antiquated assimilation and indoctrination efforts.
As humans, we attempt to blame individuals for "forced"
travesties. To be knocked down is not ones fault. Refusal to get up is.
Whose head should hang lowest in shame?
Lynn Duhon of Asteur, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the
preservation of the Acadian/Cajun culture and of the French language in
South Louisiana.
http://www.asteur.org/index.html
http://www.asteur.org/lettre-history-duhon.html
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THE SCHOOL LIBERATOR is currently a FREE service of The Alliance for the
Separation of School & State, 4578 N First #310, Fresno CA 93726 (559)
292-1776. We are a non-profit, grass roots educational organization
dedicated to informing people worldwide how education can be improved for
all-not only the poor-by liberating schools from politics. For more
information go to
http://www.sepschool.org
Publisher: Marshall Fritz
Editor: Cathy Cuthbert
Copyright 2001, The Alliance for the Separation of
School & State, Inc. All rights reserved.
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